- Apr 29, 2005
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Originally posted by: Robor
Originally posted by: eskimospy
Originally posted by: BoberFett
If the cop that told you to break into your neighbor's house said he'd shoot you in the leg if you didn't, would you still refuse? Sure there's a consequence for not complying, but if you refused you wouldn't have any civil or criminal liability so that makes everything OK and shooting you is really no big deal. At least he didn't shoot you in the head.
This is an issue I can see both sides on. The telcos could have and should have refused, but how exactly are people supposed to stand up to the federal government.
Well the threat of severe injury or death isn't exactly comparable here because... of... well the obvious reasons. I see what you're trying to get at though.
I won't doubt for a second that the telecoms were put in a shitty position by the government. They were probably threatened with a loss of contracts, no doubt. They had a choice though, lose contracts with no legal liability, or commit a crime, keep the contracts, and expose themselves to massive liability. They made their bed, it's not our fault if they sleep poorly in it.
I just don't buy the argument at all that says "the government would have withheld contracts so the companies had to do it". No, they didn't have to do it. We need to go after the people in government who are responsible for this, but we also need to uphold the law against the companies that aided and abetted this. If we let them off the hook this time, all that means is that the next time the government comes up to them and asks them to break the law, they will do it again that time too.
If we don't hold the government responsible for their illegal wiretaps it's likely there will be a next time they ask someone to break the law for them.
I completely agree.
However, we are able able to hold the telecoms responsible right now and they lose some major lawsuit, the next time the government comes knocking, it is going to take a lot more than a request to get the companies/industry to comply with it.